Alphorn for brass players

The alphorn is excellent for training breathing and support. It is often played in the high natural tones. This requires both considerable breath and lip strength, and the alphorn is ideal for training these in a relatively short time. For example, one hour of alphorn practice requires approximately the same embouchure strength as two hours of trombone practice. Sensitively responding to the notes requires optimal coordination of embouchure, reed, and support.

Practicing the alphorn quickly leads to a tremendous improvement in embouchure and accuracy on any brass instrument. The alphorn is the ideal instrument for beginning brass instrument training.
 

 

It offers the following advantages to a beginner:

1. You are forced to breathe well and support yourself from the beginning. 
2. You are dealing with relatively few notes and long note values ​​and can therefore concentrate well on the sound. 
3. The required knowledge of music notation is minimal, and learning musical notation is therefore easy. 
4. You are not distracted from the elementary blowing process by problems with grips and can concentrate fully on it. 
5. You quickly develop the feeling for maintaining a long column of air. 
6. The instrument is very motivating - especially for children - because of its size and simplicity. 
7. You′ll quickly make good progress and soon be able to play in a group. This is very motivating..

A considerable number of professional brass players play the alphorn, e.g. wind players of the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio, the Southwest Broadcasting, the West German Broadcasting, the Austrian Broadcasting, the Mozarteum Salzburg, the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, the Basel Symphony Orchestra, etc..
 

(from the book: F. Schüssele: Alphorn and Shepherd′s Horn in Europe)